Not Applicable
Not Applicable.
This invention relates to panel systems, and in particular, to a PVC panel system which can be used to easily erect non-load bearing walls, for example in animal enclosures. Although the invention is described to wall panel systems for use with animal enclosures, the broader applicability of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Animal enclosures, such as farrowing pens, and other walls in hog houses, are often made of wood. The wood walls have to be framed with wood studs. The wall frame then must be covered, for example, with sheets of plywood. This is a time consuming, and hence, expensive procedure. Further, wood is porous. The dirt from, for example, a hog house, can become lodged in the ply wood wall, even if the wall is painted. It is thus difficult to keep the walls clean, and hence sanitary, even when painted. Further, the painted walls will need to be repainted periodically. Additionally, animals often like to chew on wood, requiring the replacement of portions of walls. Furthermore, the use of typical stud walls does not allow for quick and easy removal of the walls, should it be decided to partition the space differently within a hog house.
A wall panel system of the present invention includes a plurality of inter-connecting panels which are framed by top, bottom, and side channel members. The panels are tongue and groove panels, and have a tongue extending from one side of the panel and a groove formed in the opposite side of the panel. The panel is preferably hollow, and includes a plurality of dividers which define chambers within the panel.
The bottom channel member has a back leg, a front leg, and a bottom surface extending between the back and front legs. In one variation, the bottom channel member includes a heel extending rearwardly from the back leg of the bottom channel member.
The top channel member can either be an integral, one-piece assembly or a two-piece assembly. In the one piece assembly, the top channel member includes a back leg, a front leg, and an upper surface extending between the back and front wall. The one-piece top channel member can also have a heel extending forwardly from the channel member""s front leg.
The two piece top channel member includes a fixed member and a locking leg mountable to the fixed member. The fixed member includes a back leg, a top surface, and a rearwardly facing groove at the free end of the top surface. The locking leg includes a finger which is received in the groove. In a first embodiment, the locking leg includes a single panel which extends down from the fixed member when mounted to the fixed member. When this embodiment is used, fasteners are driven through the locking leg and into the panel to secure the locking leg in place. Preferably, the fasteners are driven through the joints between the panels, so that the fasteners are driven through the tongues and grooves of adjacent panels.
In an alternate embodiment, the fixed member has a pair of generally parallel grooves. The locking leg has a pair of parallel arms, each of which has a finger which is received in the fixed member groove. When this embodiment is used, connection of the locking leg to the fixed member will substantially prevent the fixed member from moving relative to the fixed member and panel, and fasteners are not required. The locking leg can, for example be generally xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped, xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d-shaped, or xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d-shaped. It can also be shaped generally like a xe2x80x9c4xe2x80x9d or an inverted xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d.
The side channel members are used to secure the wall made from the system to side walls in the room in which the wall is being erected. The top and bottom channel members are used to form the side channel members. The first side channel member can be made from either the top or bottom channel members. The second side channel member is preferable made from the top two-piece top channel member.
A method of assembling a wall from the components is also disclosed.